Govt schools to have separate toilets for girls: HP CM

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said his government would provide adequate facilities, including separate toilets for girls, in state-run schools.
There has been mushroom-growth of private schools in every part of the state and to meet their standards, the government would provide adequate facilities to students in government schools, he said.
All the government schools will have separate toilets for girls, boys and the teachers, and the students would be made aware of the benefits of the cleanliness, he said at 'Samman Samaroh' organised to honour meritorious students in the campus of HP Board of School Education, Dharamsala.

On other measures, he said the government had decided to introduce Hindi, English and Mathematics subjects' right from class 1, and all government schools would have one music teacher and one physical training teacher.
Stating that Himachal had made rapid progress in the education sector, Singh said the main focus of the government was to open new schools in rural and far-flung areas with a special motive to provide education to girl child at their door-steps.
He said it was during his tenure that that the School Education Board was shifted from Shimla to Dharamsala despite protests.

"I consider Himachal as one and sincerely wanted its office in the lower belt of the state," he said.

At the function, Singh awarded meritorious students, felicitated teachers and also lauded board chairman Balbir Tegta's efforts.
Singh also inaugurated Board's Data Centre and laid down the foundation stone of the Press Club building here.
Several ministers including Transport minister G S Bali, Forest Minister Thakur Singh Bharmouri, Housing and Urban Development Minister Shri Sudhir Sharma along with MLAs and senior officials were present on the occasion.